Method and system for integrated power combiners

A method for processing signals, the method comprising:

• in a chip comprising a polarization controller, said polarization controller comprising an input optical waveguide, optical couplers, and a polarization-splitting grating coupler:
• generating two output signals from a first optical coupler that receives an input signal from said input optical waveguide;
• phase modulating one or both of said two output signals to configure a phase offset between said two generated output signals before communicating signals with said phase offset to a second optical coupler;
• phase modulating one or both optical signals generated by said second optical coupler to configure a phase offset between signals communicated to said polarization-splitting grating coupler;
• and
• launching an optical signal of a desired polarization into an optical fiber via said polarization-splitting grating coupler by combining said signals communicated to said polarization-splitting grating coupler.

A system for processing signals, the system comprising:

• a CMOS photonics chip comprising an optical power combiner, said optical power combiner comprising input optical waveguides, optical couplers, and output optical waveguides, said chip being operable to:
• receive optical signals in each of said input optical waveguides;
• phase-modulate one or both received optical signals to configure a phase offset between signals received at a first optical coupler, wherein said first optical coupler generates output signals having substantially equal optical powers;
• and
• phase-modulate one or both output signals of said first optical coupler to configure a phase offset between signals received at a second optical coupler, wherein said second optical coupler generates an output signal in a first of said output optical waveguides having an optical power of essentially zero and an output signal in a second of said output optical waveguides having a maximized optical power.